Went to visit the bees on an organic farm near Crowlas yesterday. Supers were needed, but sadly I couldn't take the van to the hives, as a number of cows and calves are now resident in the field. As I parked the van, they gathered at the gate and I was convinced that a number were wearing cynical smiles.
To avoid being flattened, I took a detour around the next field and along the bottom of "cow field". All was well.....ducked under the electric fence and gingerly crept through the barbed wire and arrived at the bees. They're doing well - more supers required!
I ventured back along the same route, but was spotted by a wary cow, who started to amble across with a few of her friends. I collected two more supers and returned.
"Wary cow" had stopped at an interesting distance. I started forward, trying to look calm. Just past the halfway distance, wary cow took a few paces forward. I lengthened my stride, as I was fully committed. This cat and mouse game continued and my expectations of a charge increased. However, I reached the fence, in a state of mild panic. Keeping a very close eye on wary cow I started to make my way towards the bees, when boom!!!!
I suppose it felt like being an extra in Saving Private Ryan - the electric fence delivered a real punch, knocking me sideways into the barbed wire, where I hung for a little while, trying to get my bearings. A number of thoughts.....
"What was that!!??"......"I haven't been shot - must have been an electric fence"
"Is my heart ok?".........."It's still going, but that's not clever 6 months after a heart attack!"
"Where's the cow?"......"It's stood over there, laughing at you!"
So, on several fronts, the heart received an check up that was effective, but perhaps unwise!
2015CSC = 2 (rushing to pick up a frame after multiple traffic delays - on one road they've been resurfacing a bridge for 6 weeks now. They probably could have built a new one in the same time!)
To avoid being flattened, I took a detour around the next field and along the bottom of "cow field". All was well.....ducked under the electric fence and gingerly crept through the barbed wire and arrived at the bees. They're doing well - more supers required!
I ventured back along the same route, but was spotted by a wary cow, who started to amble across with a few of her friends. I collected two more supers and returned.
"Wary cow" had stopped at an interesting distance. I started forward, trying to look calm. Just past the halfway distance, wary cow took a few paces forward. I lengthened my stride, as I was fully committed. This cat and mouse game continued and my expectations of a charge increased. However, I reached the fence, in a state of mild panic. Keeping a very close eye on wary cow I started to make my way towards the bees, when boom!!!!
I suppose it felt like being an extra in Saving Private Ryan - the electric fence delivered a real punch, knocking me sideways into the barbed wire, where I hung for a little while, trying to get my bearings. A number of thoughts.....
"What was that!!??"......"I haven't been shot - must have been an electric fence"
"Is my heart ok?".........."It's still going, but that's not clever 6 months after a heart attack!"
"Where's the cow?"......"It's stood over there, laughing at you!"
So, on several fronts, the heart received an check up that was effective, but perhaps unwise!
2015CSC = 2 (rushing to pick up a frame after multiple traffic delays - on one road they've been resurfacing a bridge for 6 weeks now. They probably could have built a new one in the same time!)